You are here

Monthly Archive

When the news broke that New Mexico could be weeks away from opening a horse slaughter plant, our hearts went out not only to the horses who would fall victim to gruesome deaths, but also to the citizens of New Mexico. If the plant opens, New Mexico’s reputation will be blackened by its association with the incredible cruelty inherent to this grisly industry—and its citizens will be burdened by the economic peril, decline in property values, chronic environmental hazards and awful stench that horse slaughter plants bring to communities.

There is a broad consensus in this nation that horses should not be slaughtered for human consumption—and New Mexico is no exception. A new statewide poll shows that 70% of New Mexico voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption and do not want a horse slaughter plant in their community. This strong opposition is represented across political parties, ethnicities and locations within the state.

April is one of the most exciting months of year, in our opinion. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month (PoCAM, as we call it) is in full swing! Every year, we urge supporters across the country to Go Orange for Animals throughout April—the month in 1866 when the ASPCA's charter was signed—to raise awareness for our cause.

Here are five ways you can Go Orange for Animals this month:

1. Volunteer at your local animal shelter.Coordinate a Go Orange for Animals event with your local animal welfare group or shelter and donate the proceeds. Remember to alert local media about your event!2. Show your virtual support. Dedicate your Facebook status, Twitter or blog to the ASPCA during the month of April and encourage people to spread the word about animal cruelty. And if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and Twitter!3. Join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade. Fight to get strong anti-cruelty laws passed on federal, state and local levels as a member of the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade.4. Become an ASPCA Guardian. For as little as 60 cents a day, you can help us rescue animals from cruelty and help us find them loving homes. Please consider becoming an ASPCA Guardian today.5. Enter our Facebook Sweepstakes. We want to help you make an even bigger impact! Tell us how you’ve been a hero for animals for a chance to win an ASPCA Action Pack!

For more ways to get involved in this month-long celebration, visit the special Go Orange section of our website. The possibilities are endless!

The length to which some people will go to eat “adventurously” has us shaking our heads in disbelief.

In recent years, there’s been a bump in consumer demand for exotic meats—including lion meat. Surprisingly, most lion meat seems to be supplied by businesses in the state of Illinois.

Where do the slaughtered lions come from? No one is really sure. One Illinois supplier claims the meat is the byproduct of a separate venture that sells the animals’ skins, while many restaurateurs who offer lion meat are under the impression that there’s a USDA-inspected “lion farm” outside of Chicago (not true). Whether the lions are actually coming from African poachers, or are discards from private owners and inhumane roadside zoos in the U.S., this is a problem.

Due to hunting and habitat loss, the planet’s African lion population has been reduced by half in the past 20 years, and there’s a strong case for adding lions to the federal Endangered Species List. The last thing anyone should want to do is glamorize lion meat and increase demand for it.

An Illinois state representative, Rep. Luis Arroyo, has taken action by introducing the first-ever state bill to ban possessing, breeding, buying or selling lions for their meat. The Illinois Lion Meat Act will soon by voted on by the state’s House of Representatives—if you live in Illinois, please help the lions by asking your state representative to vote for it.

In late March, the ASPCA played a critical role in a three-state dog fighting raid that resulted in the rescue of nearly 100 animals. A few weeks after this intricately coordinated effort to rescue dogs in Texas, Missouri and Kansas went off without a hitch, we’re able to update you on the dogs and the dog fighters.

The Victims

When we found these dogs, many were doomed to live their whole lives tethered by heavy chains—and on the day of the raid, many were left outside to suffer through a blizzard. Now, says ASPCA Vice President of Field Investigations and Response Tim Rickey, they’re living in an entirely different world.

When the dogs arrived at our temporary shelter, our veterinary professionals, led by the ASPCA’s Dr. Sarah Kirk, examined them quickly and thoroughly. Some dogs needed immediate care, while others require ongoing treatment which they are now receiving from ASPCA and local veterinarians.

An ASPCA behaviorist will be on the ground at the shelter throughout this operation, and while the dogs stay in our clean and spacious shelter, they will benefit from behavioral enrichment programs that incorporate toys, games and lots of fun interactions with people. The dogs will have regular access to one of several large exercise playpens, where they’ll get to play with our responders and burn off excess doggy energy.

“Every day,” Rickey says, “we’re focusing on taking care of these animals and providing the best environment that we can for them.”

The Suspects

The ASPCA continues to work to collect evidence and provide other support to law enforcement, working to ensure dog fighters pay for harming these animal victims. The charges are just starting to roll in:

Last week Pete Davis Jr. and Melvin L. Robinson, both of Kansas City, Kansas, were each charged in federal court with one count of transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture in interstate commerce. If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.

“The case is not over yet—there’s still a lot of work to be done on the investigation side,” says Rickey, adding that he hopes to see more arrests in relation to this raid.

The ASPCA had been assisting the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies with the planning of this large-scale raid since November 2012. ASPCA Blood Sports Director Terry Mills provided his expertise to help these agencies maximize the operation’s impact. Our next steps: continuing to provide top-notch care for these animals and working with authorities to secure the right to place dogs in loving homes.

If you’ve given to the ASPCA recently, from the bottom of our hearts: thank you. This raid is an enormous undertaking and a huge commitment, but we are dedicated to being there for animal victims of cruelty whenever they need us. If you haven’t yet given lately, please consider doing so today. On behalf of animals across the country, thank you!

For the fifth year in a row, the ASPCA was honored to be selected as one of five national charities to participate in the Subaru “Share the Love” winter event. During the campaign, which took place from November 2012 to January 2013, Subaru donated $250 to the new owner’s choice of five participating charities whenever a new vehicle was purchased or leased. As a result, $1.4 million was raised for the ASPCA, and 100% of the funds have been distributed as grants to animal welfare organizations in all 50 states!

Bu that’s not all! During “Share the Love,” we helped match shelters with local Subaru dealerships to host events promoting pet adoption. A record 116 events took place, resulting in more than 1,300 adoptions.

Adoption event attendees and grantees were encouraged to share pictures from the events on Twitter, and now you can join in! Help us share our love back to Subaru on behalf of all the animals they have helped: Share your love by tweeting photos of your pets and your very own Subaru vehicles using the hashtag #aspcaSTL.

Reminder for ASPCA Guardians and Founders: You may be eligible for a special offer from Subaru when you lease or purchase a new Forester, Impreza, Legacy, Outback, Tribeca, WRX, STI, BRZ or XV Crosstrek. As an added bonus, Subaru will also donate $100 to the ASPCA! Please review offer details on ASPCA.org before contacting your local Subaru dealership.